At the Movies
by Broken Antler in Winter
Summary: "There ain't no capes in 'Haven! Who are you? What are you?" Smirking as he gracefully twisted to his feet on to the rooftop of the warehouse, he announced, "I'm Nightwing. And I'm an acro-bat." Or, the Bat-family's conversation on a newly released movie about Nightwing...escalates quickly.


**Pre-New 52, in a Li'l Gotham-ish Gotham City. **

* * *

_"I grew up under the shadow of the Bat, my name always preceded by 'Batman and'. But the man behind the cowl groomed me and trained me to become a something more than a boy looking for revenge in the darkest pits of Gotham. He trained me to be a hero. Now I am my own man. I have found something mine, my own city to guard jealously. I will make a name for myself, as..."_

_The dark yet beautiful skyline faded, as a deep, foreboding orchestral music began. Scenes flickered across. A circus tent, filled with noises and sounds. A trapeze, with no one on it. A mansion, looming overhead. A cave, filled with bats. A robin, flying free. A city, filled with a deep sickness, yet not too far from redemption. A young man, readying himself to defend his city, Bludhaven._

_And, in a dark blue bold lettering, the word that was defined by all these aspects of a life like no other..._

**-NIGHTWING-**

_Nightwing, clad in dark armors with the blue bird at the center of his chest as symbol of his flight to freedom, crouched on the rooftop. He tensed, anticipating the breaking of the eerie silence as twenty bulky men entered the abandoned warehouse. Grappling to the roof of the warehouse, Nightwing watched as they began unpacking the drugs from the shipping crate._

_Taking a tool from his gauntlet, he shattered the skylight, leaping into the fray._

_The thugs appeared left and right, but being trained by the Bat meant that such and adversary would be comparatively easy to defeat. Too easy for the massive drug operation that Nightwing was informed about...Nightwing grabbed the collar of a nearby thug, the only one who was still conscious, and yelled, "Who are you working for?"_

_The man whimpered, but stood his ground. "I ain't telling you! He'll have me thrown into the harbor!"_

_"I don't think you're familiar with us capes, or capeless, but we don't take no for an answer." Pushing the shocked man further into the wall, Nightwing repeated, "Who are you working for?"_

_"B-blockbuster! It's Blockbuster! He runs Bludhaven and half the cops!"_

_Smirking, Nightwing cuffed the man, throwing him to the side with his co-workers. "See, now you're getting the hang of it." Shooting his grappling gun to the roof, Nightwing waved cheekily with his free hand to the cuffed criminal. "See that you don't cause any more trouble in my city. Love to stay till, but I gotta fly."_

_The criminal tried to stand up, finding himself stuck, but as Nightwing jumped back into the night, he could hear the sound of the man's voice. "There ain't no capes in 'Haven! Who are you? What are you?"_

_Smirking as he gracefully twisted to his feet on the warehouse, he announced, "I'm Nightwing. And I'm an acro-bat."_

...

...

The audience was entranced_._

* * *

"So, Former Boy Wonder, I think he actually pulled you off quite well. The horrible puns, the performer's pride, that _ass_."

"I am _offended, _Babs. His ass is _not _measurable to the Grayson package."

"Yeah, Dick's right, I mean, that actor was _hot, _but there are some things you can't simulate. You have to actually work out like a Bat to have an ass like a Bat. But it was a good movie, though they totally should have done a scene where Dick ate Crocky Crunch."

"It is like you, Brown, to care about such trivial and imbecilic factors when the entire production was an atrocious disgrace to the Bat franchise. We do not need Grayson's inferior taste to be advertised to the hooligans and harlots attending the screening."

"So, Demon Spawn, which one are you? The latter, right?"

"Drake! You have no right to insult a _true _Wayne."

"Yeah, Swan Queen, as if you have the right to talk. Dressed like a fucking Vegas showgirl. And I don't think anyone forgot condom-head. And why the hell am I here anyways? It's just another one of Golden Boy's movies."

"Yes, Todd, why _are_ you here? Grayson, why did you invite him?"

"Because he's family, Dami, and we have to stick together, even if some of us make rather questionable fashion choices-"

"Woah, Dick, you have no right to talk, I only added feathers and a cowl. Do you remember the nineties? Disco? Mullets? God, I can't believe I actually wore the shortpants the first night out, I swear I was frozen."

"Well, pants _chafe._ And I don't hear Babs or Jay complaining about what I wore."

"Just because you made it _too fucking easy._ For the Golden Boy, you have a stunted sense of fashion."

"Believe me, Dick, we might have not said anything back then, but everyone was glad when you moved out of your nineties phase."

"Et tu, Babs?"

"Well...Dick...nineties were...bad for you?"

"And Cass has spoken! Anyways, I thought the idea of Timmy wearing shortpants was kind of...hot. Any pictures? I'm sure Kon will love the idea so, so much."

"He doesn't know about the original costume, please _don't _tell him!"

"Maybe the kryptonian clone will be far more satisfied if I procured for him the files on the mission of Caroline Hill. Fitting, for your effeminate looks and weakness. Only a pacifist playing and war."

"You wouldn't dare-"

"Oh, Damian, you'll see soon enough. It's a right of passage for every Robin to complete. Every Robin has dressed up as a girl before, even Jason!"

"If it is Todd, then I am not surprised. An incompetent, worthless fool who is not worthy of being taken under the wing of Father. Always vying for Father's attention."

"I banged your mom."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY? TODD!"

"STOP! Calm down, let's go back to the Manor and _talk about something else."_

"I don't know, I want to know more."

"Shut up, Drake! I will _disembowel _you usurpers!"

"Stop...fighting."

"Cass is right, guys. I know we all have our complexes and issues, but isn't tonight the night we relax and _not _talk about those things? Try to be normal?"

"Steph, dear, don't try. I've been to Robin-gatherings for years, and they never turn out well. Even when there was just one Robin."

"Okay, you know what? This was supposed to be a _family_ night, as in a time for truce, and no fights. Jason, put your hand off the gun- Wait, gun? You weren't supposed to bring a gun! Dami, is that a katana? Tim, _put down the batarang. _Am I the only person who followed the no-weapons rule?"

"The only _Batboy_. We Batgirls don't need weapons to kick ass."

"I know that, Steph. You ladies like the demonstrate. But, Jay, if you aren't going to put the gun down, then I'll show them pictures of that time you showed up at Titans Tower with _only _lingerie."

"I lost a bet against Donna!"

"I took pictures anyways, it's such a wonderful picture album. I have every embarrassing moment of every one of my little brothers in it. Caroline Hill, Jason's hair dye, and even that time Damian met Catwoman. Big brother privileges. Come on, don't fight, or I'll tell Alfred while the album mysteriously appears on the Justice League monthly newsletter."

"Y'know what? Fuck this, I'm leaving."

"I have work to get back to back at the Tower."

"I am returning to the Manor. I have _patrol." _

...

...

...

"It was still a good movie, even if they thought I was some secret Wallenda the the world forgot, which was kind of flattering, honestly."

"So, Hunk Wonder, all the other Batboys are gone."

"I forgot my wallet."

"Mine...with Stephanie."

"_Okay, 'ladies'_, I'll pay the bill."

* * *

"So...Barbara. Does Dick know about Grayson-Cam yet?"

"Oh, Steph, _everyone _spies on Dick."

* * *

**They'll be back together sometime later. For the screening of, "Swan Queen: The Rise of the Red."**


End file.
